View/Print this document in PDF format 
Spring 2004
Safety Statistics in Ontario
Studies undertaken for the Federation of Canadian Municipalities indicate that railway access and at-grade crossing collisions account for about one third of all reported railway accidents.
According to Transport Canada, in 2002, at least 15 people were killed and 14 seriously injured in 77 railway crossing accidents/collisions in Ontario. When compared to the national average, 30% of 261 railway-crossing accidents/collisions occured in Ontario.
In addition, in 2002, at least 33 people were killed and 9 injured in Ontario while trespassing along rail lines. Since 1993, the number of trespassing accidents has generally remained the same in Ontario.
A collision between a vehicle and a train can be devastating for a number of reasons. A collision at a crossing may result in the loss of life for the occupants of the vehicle. It may also cause the train to derail, which in turn can affect the safety of the community and train crew (if it has dangerous commodities) and cause damage to the environment (in the event of a spill).
What Can Municipalities Do?
The various components of a community’s transportation system should be planned and co-ordinated to ensure public safety and the efficient transfer of people and goods between destinations and different modes of transport. Public safety is a key aspect of land-use planning and needs to be considered when making planning decisions, including decisions which could affect or be affected by transportation systems.
Rail transportation is an efficient means for moving people and goods and is an important element of our overall transportation system. Planning for community growth and development should include consideration of railway operations, including matters of public safety. Municipalities can support public safety through planning decisions and through local planning documents, such as official plans and zoning bylaws.
A variety of standards, guidelines and legislation, including the federal Railway Safety Act, may help direct municipal land-use decisions on matters affected by, or affecting railway operations and facilities. A variety of sources, such as the Provincial Policy Statement, provide policy direction on matters of provincial interest related to land-use planning, including transportation and public health and safety.
Municipal official plans, through land-use designation and policy direction, can help to address railway safety by:
- providing land-use designations for commercial, residential and other types of development in locations that reduce the likelihood of pedestrians crossing rail lines
- providing for the appropriate location of facilities where goods are transferred between rail and truck modes
- discouraging sensitive land uses that are negatively affected by rail operations from locating next to rail lines
- requiring that appropriate studies for noise and vibration are undertaken when developing residential and other sensitive land uses near rail operations
- ensuring that safety measures such as setbacks, berms and security fencing and other provisions are considered for development adjacent or near railways tracks to maximize public safety.
These points should also be considered in other matters of municipal responsibility, such as conditions of draft approval for subdivisions /land division, site plan control and zoning bylaws.
Who Does What?
Railway rights-of-way and railway crossings are under federal and provincial jurisdiction. The federal legislation, the Railway Safety Act, regulates federal rail lines and the safety of railway operations, while shortline railway operations are under provincial jurisdiction. The Province of Ontario established the Shortline Railways Act, 1995, which facilitates the establishment of new shortline railways and the adoption of new safety standards. This legislation allows the Province to enter into an agreement with the federal government and its agencies to regulate railway safety, accident investigation and railway crossing in relation to shortline railways. An agreement between the federal and provincial governments was signed in 1996 which allows for the federal government to administer and enforce the Railway Safety Act and regulation(s) for Ontario shortline railways.
PLANNING FOR RAILWAY SAFETY
Did You Know?
- Freight trains and passenger trains use many of the same tracks;
- A freight train travelling at 90 km/hr could take more than 1.6 km or 18 football fields to stop;
- Trains may not whistle at every crossing;
- Trains can weigh more than 10,000 tonnes;
- Because of their large size, it is extremely difficult to assess the speed of an oncoming train; and
- Trains can operate on any track in any direction at any time.
Provincial Policy Statement (PPS)
Contains the following public safety and transportation policies:
- Section 1.1.1 (f) states that 'development and land-use patterns which may cause environmental or public health and safety concerns will be avoided';
- Section 1.1.3 states that ‘long-term prosperity will be supported by:
- c) providing for an efficient, cost-effective, reliable, multi-modal transportation system that is integrated with adjacent systems and those of other jurisdictions and is appropriate to address expected growth;
- g) planning so that major facilities, such as transportation corridors [etc] and sensitive land uses are appropriately designed, buffered and/or separated from each other to prevent adverse effects from odour, noise and other contaminants’;
- Section 1.3.2.1 states that 'transportation systems will be provided which are safe, environmentally sensitive, and energy efficient'.
- Section 1.3.3.1 states that 'corridors and rights-of-way for significant transportation and infrastructure facilities will be protected'.
A copy of the Provincial Policy Statement can be found on the Municipal Affairs and Housing Web site, under the “Resources for Municipalities/Land Use Planning” or by phone at (416) 585-6014.
Other Related Information:
Direction 2006 is a partnership between all levels of government (including the Ontario Government), railway companies, public safety organizations, police, unions and community groups. Its objective is to reduce grade crossing collisions and trespassing incidents by 50 percent by the year 2006. For more information, contact Transport Canada at (613) 998-1893 or visit www.direction2006.com.
Transport Canada and the Railway Association of Canada also work together on Operation Life Saver - a public education program that, since 1981, promotes public education and awareness of crossing safety and trespass prevention. For more information, contact Operation Lifesaver at (613) 564-8100 or visit their Web site at www.operationlifesaver.ca.
Ontario Safety League, a sponsor of Operation Lifesaver, is a non-profit organization that provides information on Operation Lifesaver. Information can be requested on the Web site at www.osl.org/ or by phone at (905) 625-0556 ext.27.
For more information, contact:
MINISTRY OF MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS AND HOUSING WEB SITE
Provincial Planning and Environmental Services Branch (416) 585-6014
MUNICIPAL SERVICES OFFICES
Federal Government, Transport Canada:
Ontario Regional Office (416) 952-0487
Web site: www.tc.gc.ca/OntarioRegion/en/menu.htm
Produced by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Provincial Planning and Environmental Services Branch
ISBN 0-7794-6032-4
© Queen’s Printer for Ontario, 2004
Disponible en français